Need
by BrDPirateMan
Summary: Neku asks Eri for help on wooing Shiki, but Eri, who harbours an infatuation for him, has other ideas... Rated M for strong sexual themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Need (Part 1)  
****by BrDPirateMan**

_Neku turns to Eri for advice on how to woo Shiki, but Eri, who secretly harbours an infatuation for him, has other ideas… Rated M for strong sexual scenes._

His eyes were the most beautiful ones that she had ever seen in her entire life. They were like sapphires that would shine even in the blackest of nights.

She was taken with his cool, calm demeanour. While he wasn't exactly famous for being comfortable with people, he was still friendly and could be surprisingly easy to chat with.

And of course, Eri thought that he was simply handsome. Of all the guys she had met, he was… perfect.

The boy in question was Neku Sakuraba. He had been introduced to her along with other friends like Beat and Rhyme, by her best friend Shiki. And while Beat was goofy and funny, and Rhyme was sweet and philosophical, Eri felt that Neku was the most interesting one among them. The moment she laid eyes on him she knew he was special in a way she couldn't describe.

Before long she began to harbour a deep crush on him. She would talk to him whenever she could because she loved his company. However, Neku never saw through her and was thus unaware of her real feelings for him. Eri remained as simply a friend to him, something she badly wanted to change.

She wanted, of all things, to be his girlfriend.

XOXOXOXOXO

"Eri," called Neku.

"Oh!" Flustered at his sudden greeting, Eri managed a quick "Hi", before being reduced to a blushing fit when he walked right up to her.

_He's simply gorgeous_, she thought as he fixed a constant but not penetrating gaze on her.

"Hey, Eri, I know this is kinda sudden, but… you're Shiki's best friend, right?"

"Why, of course, Neku," replied Eri, playing with a frond of long pink hair in her fingers. "What's up? Need anything?"

"Well…" At this point he looked away and the redness in his cheeks was noticeable. Eri mentally noted that he was cute when he blushed, too. But her train of thoughts was interrupted when Neku spoke again.

"The truth is… I like Shiki a lot."

"Huh?"

"Y-Yeah, I like her, and I want to ask her out, so I thought… since you're her best friend, you might know what she likes and all."

"Oh… Um, I see…" Eri had always loved Neku in secret, but hearing him say that he was in love with Shiki, she felt like her heart was being crushed by an unknown force. Disappointment clouded her judgment and it was hard to think clearly.

But despite that, Neku was a friend all the same and she would do anything to help him out. So, hiding her true thoughts with her usual bubbly, cheery self, she asked earnestly, "What exactly do you need help with?"

XOXOXOXOXO

Ever since she knew that the object of Neku's affections was Shiki and not her, Eri's infatuation with the Sakuraba boy only increased. In fact, it was growing to a head and becoming borderline unhealthy.

Eri knew that Shiki was her bosom buddy, the kind of friend you stick up for, the pal you'd gladly set a chunk of time aside for to hang out with. But right now, regarding the matter of Neku Sakuraba, she was fierce competition. She wanted Neku, but he wanted Shiki. Would this be another example of unrequited love?

Oh, how torn Eri was on the inside. She often sighed in dismay, not knowing how to reverse the situation at hand. The problem is, she had agreed to help Neku woo her rival in love, and it hurt her more than it should. It felt like the biggest defeat ever.

It was during these times of worry and frustration that she would attempt to fill in the void in her bleeding heart any way she could. She would role-play romantic dates with Neku in her head, and pretend her pillow was him and hug and kiss it passionately. But soon she became obsessed with him to the point that whenever she found a little free time to herself, she would lock herself in her bedroom, take off all her clothes and masturbate on the bed, imagining Neku making love to her.

She would profess her love for him while inserting two fingers up her birth canal, thrusting in and out with a feverish madness. When she got too wet down below she would wipe her own fluids off that oozed onto her hand and lick them clean, enjoying her own flavour and thinking how much Neku would like it too if he got a chance to get dirty with her. And when she knew no one was in the house but herself, she would often take her wild self make-out sessions to other parts of her apartment. Once, she got the coffee table wet with her own sweat and juices, and was forced to clean it up quickly before her parents returned.

More than just a crush, she badly needed to be intimate with Neku. She needed to satisfy her hunger for him, and fast, before she really got out of control.

But she knew that if she made one wrong move, it would be all over between her and him.

XOXOXOXOXO

"So I was thinking," said Neku, "I figured you might have some tips that I could use to get her to like me better."

He and Eri were sitting in a fast-food restaurant having a quick meal together. For Eri, it felt almost like a date with him, and she was quite thankful. However, Neku asked her to come with him for tea simply because he wanted to cull dating tips from her.

Indeed, Eri was Shiki's greatest buddy. She knew about her personality, what interests she had and even what ticked her off. Even though Eri was disappointed that it wasn't her but Shiki that Neku liked, she nonetheless felt compelled to at least be a most sincere friend to him and divulge whatever secrets she had that he could use to his advantage.

"It's so cute that you're going to make a move on her," she giggled.

"Make a move? No! It's not like that…" protested Neku with a slight nervous stammer to his normally consistent voice.

"Ohoho, it's fine, Neku. You know, there has been this twinkle in her eye when she talks to you lately."

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't you noticed?" said Eri, taking a sip from her soda. "That's one of the subtle clues that proves…" She leaned in and lowered her voice to a husky whisper, "…that she really likes you."

Neku blushed. Incredulous, but no less happy to hear her words, he simply said, "You've got to be kidding me."

To which Eri nodded to gave him confirmation that it was true.

"Well, um… If that's what you say, then I should probably take the first step. I mean, she's not going to come up to me and ask _me_ out on a date, that's for sure. Why, I wouldn't allow that to happen… It'll hurt my pride as a man!"

"Nice thinking, Neku," Eri teased him playfully. In a mildly seductive voice she breathed, "Hee hee. With such wit as yours, I might probably just like you myself."

Neku spluttered on the soda he was sipping at that time, coughing like a maniac. When he found his voice, the first thing he said was "What?"

Eri simply laughed. "Just pulling your leg. Really!" Messing around with Neku's head and seeing how much he blushed was a lot of fun for Eri. Even if she couldn't have him, it was still a rush to tease him like this.

"Hmm, alright, well…" Neku was dabbing his chin, dripping with soda, with a tissue. "Maybe you can start giving me some tips already."

"What kind of tips in particular?"

"For starters, perhaps you can tell me about what she likes? I know a bit about her, but not that much…"

"Ah, well," Eri said, rubbing her chin and with her eyes affixed to the heavens to suggest deep thought, "You probably wouldn't know it, but she's a fan of the Shopaholics movies. And as you know, there's one coming up, so…"

Neku was all ears. He was scribbling a lot of mental notes in his head. Eri reminded him that Shiki was attentive to little details such as when you opened the door for her, or remembered that she hates milkshake so you would do well not to order one for her. Before long she had exhausted all possible strategies, so they spent the rest of the afternoon talking about everything under the sun until evening darkened the sky.

Down the streets of Shibuya they went as Neku walked her home. Eri grew the urge to latch onto his arm, as it would be so romantic, but steered clear of doing so; it would totally freak him out and not in a good way. Finally, at half past six, they had arrived back at her apartment.

As she opened her front door they shared a few more minutes of casual conversation about the latest Tin Pin craze before Neku spoke in a semi-serious tone.

"Thanks for the tips, Eri," said Neku. "You're really awesome."

"Don't mention it," said Eri, who was quickly blushing. "We're friends, so we gotta help each other out, right?"

"Yeah..." He was grinning from ear to ear.

Eri's heart was pounding against her ribcage in nervousness. She was alone with Neku. This would be the perfect chance to drop a hint about how she really felt towards him… She mustered as much courage as she could…

"Oh well, I guess I'll be off for now, Eri," Neku said, taking a step away from her front door. Then he smiled again and said good-naturedly, "I'll definitely get you a drink sometime for helping me!"

"You can give me something better," muttered Eri, barely audible.

"Huh?"

Eri clapped her hands on his shoulders and leaned in swiftly to kiss him on the lips. Completely taken by surprise, Neku could do nothing but stand there and let the girl smother him. It was a good half minute before she broke away with a large goofy grin on her face, which was as red as his.

Unable to think coherently, Neku could only stutter unintelligibly. "Wha… What…"

Retreating slowly back to the open doorway, Eri turned on her innocent charm once more. "Good luck, Neku," she chirped, beaming widely. "I'm confident you can win Shiki's heart for sure!" And she went back inside, closing the door behind her, leaving Neku in a daze.

The orange-haired boy, with his mind all blurry, was confused by Eri's actions. He left the building with even more questions for Eri, questions he knew he might never get the answer of because she would probably dodge around the issue.

Eri leaned against the front door, light-headed and with shaking hands. She brought her trembling fingers to her lips with the lightest of touches, as though she was afraid a normal touch would ruin her delicate mouth.

_I've kissed him_, she thought giddily, _I've actually kissed him. Maybe now, he'll notice me more._

She couldn't stop squealing with joy as she retired to her bedroom, mission accomplished.

XOXOXOXOXO

Ever since Eri kissed Neku, he could never think straight. It came to him as a shock, not a rude one, but one that he did not expect nonetheless. The only question in his head was, _Why did she kiss me?_

He had always kept alive his dream of kissing Shiki, the girl of his dreams. He often fantasized about confessing to her, something he intended to do soon. Then they would share a passionate first kiss, after which they would go on dates. He was so much in love with her, he could marry her.

But his thoughts would invariably return to the day he was kissed out of the blue by Eri, whom he regarded as just a friend. He was sure she felt the same way about him too. So if they were just buddies as he thought they were, why did she do that? Why did she do something that only lovers would do?

Neku figured at first that Eri might actually have feelings for him, but quickly tossed that theory to the back of his mind. Sure, she was cheery and funny and interesting, but she didn't seem the type to develop a liking for him; she just didn't seem that way. Without a solid enough reason, Neku settled for the possibility that maybe Eri was merely teasing him. She _did_ like to play harmless pranks on people sometimes. _That'd probably be it_, he thought. _Probably_. And he would try to concentrate on how to put her tips on wooing Shiki to good use.

The more he pondered about this, though, the more he was convinced that Eri looked at him in a different light.

Despite the confusion in his mind, Neku eventually asked Shiki out, and she agreed with a big grin on her face. That Friday night they went to see a movie – a "Shopaholic" film, which was one of Shiki's favourites – and have dinner afterwards at a trendy café, with Neku making sure he put Eri's tips to good use.

From the way Shiki was smiling and blushing the whole time, Neku knew he was making a lot of progress with her, especially when he had the upper hand with Eri's precious tips. Always open the door for Shiki, never order milkshakes, and so on. He had psyched himself up and made lots of preparations, reciting important advice over and over again like a mantra.

By the time they were back on Shiki's doorstep, Neku knew that Shiki would probably have an idea of how he felt towards her.

"I really enjoyed myself, Neku," sighed Shiki, whose blush, Neku thought, made her look even cuter.

"Yeah, same here," mumbled Neku, embarrassed himself. The silence that followed was a little uneasy, but it was filled with innocent puppy love. Not knowing what to say next, he muttered a muffled goodbye and skittered away. Shiki called her own goodbye to him as she watched him bound off into the darkness of the night.

With lovehearts spinning around her head, she went to bed a happy girl, giggling in a silly manner.

Neku had done the impossible. He had mustered enough courage to ask the girl out, and they actually had fun on their date. It was the perfect scenario, almost too good to be true. He couldn't resist shouting a loud "Yes!" as he was running back home, ignoring the stares of the few passers-by. And he couldn't wipe the grin off his face.

_I need to thank Eri for all her advice!_ he thought to himself. The memory of the pink-haired girl giving him an impromptu kiss quickly faded away to nothing, and before long Eri was forgotten for the rest of the night.

XOXOXOXOXO

"Hey, Eri," Neku almost yelled into his cell phone, "I asked Shiki out! We went out last night!"

"Really?" cried Eri, trying hard to mask the hurt in her voice by sounding extra-cheery. _So he really likes her and not me_, she thought gloomily. _Even with the kiss I gave him, he still prefers her over me_. Still, being his friend, she had to at least appear genuinely interested in Neku's affairs. So, with mock excitement, she giggled, "You have to tell me every single detail!"

"It's thanks to your advice that the date went smoothly," said Neku, causing Eri's heart to lurch for a bit from being praised.

She couldn't deny the fact that she was still attracted by him. She wanted so badly to be with him till the end of their days. She _needed_ him.

Eri knew she still had some fight left in her and decided to press on. Ignoring all good sense and courtesy, she made it her personal mission to snatch Neku away from her very own best friend.

It wouldn't be pretty, she knew. But she had to do it, or her heart would keep bleeding.

"Hello?" came Neku's voice, upon receiving no further reply from Eri.

Eri quickly composed herself, and thinking quickly, she blurted out, "C-Come on over to my house! I want to listen to every bit of your date!"

Neku was a bit hesitant at first, muttering an "Um…" and trying to figure out an excuse to politely decline, but Eri was insistent and persuasive. "It's no fun if I don't know half of what's going on," she pouted. "Especially when I was the one to help you."

"You have a point, Eri. Alright, I'll see you in… oh, ten minutes?"

"Swell!"

"Right then, later."

XOXOXOXOXO

Eri was twiddling with her hair nervously as she was waiting for Neku. _Who would have thought that ten minutes would take so long…_ She hoped to be able to leave him with another big hint when he arrived.

_I'll kiss him again and see what happens_, she thought, playing with the idea in her head over and over again. _It'll have to be subtle yet noticeable_. She was known for teasing people. If she poked fun at him by kissing him in a mischievous way, maybe it'd make him pay more attention to her without freaking him out.

To hopefully increase the impact of her actions, she had changed into a crop top and a pair of ridiculously skimpy micro shorts. Almost all men's minds were the same, she knew. No matter how hardened they could be, there's nothing quite like baring a lot of skin to lower their defenses. For her, this tactic was easy, especially since she was one of the prettier – and more popular – girls in school.

A chime rang through the air. The doorbell had rung. Eri nearly jumped out of her skin and her heart started beating hard and fast. Was that Neku at her doorstep? She leapt to her feet and answered the door.

True enough he was standing there dressed in that all-too-familiar purple hoodie. He was smiling broadly, and it was obvious he had lots to tell her.

"I went out with Shiki!" he exclaimed, half-mad. "We had a date!"

"Yeah, that's awesome!" Eri lied. Neku meant everything to her. She wanted him, _needed_ him. How could he go out with someone else, even she was her best friend? She didn't like that one bit. "Come in, come in," she said, motioning him inside her living room. "Need a drink?"

They sat down on the couch together once she brought the two of them sodas. He was sitting with the coffee table in front of him, but she was cross-legged facing him. And she was so close… Neku didn't think anything of it, though. Everyone was used to her sitting in all sorts of weird positions when she visited them, because she loved being casual and carefree, not having to give a damn about what others thought about her. Her favourite way to sit in a lazy chair would never be the proper way, but sideways with her back leaning against one armrest and her legs dangling over the other.

Eri's habit for freestyle sitting gave her an excuse to talk to Neku up close where she could gaze into that beautiful face of his.

"Go on and start talking already!" giggled Eri, shaking him gently by the arm. "The suspense is killing me!"

"We went to watch the new Shopaholic film that just came out…" Neku began, face starting to turn red.

_He looks so cute when he's blushing like that_, she thought, very much enjoying the view of him up close. "…so we were watching and she seemed really glad that…" Half of what Neku was saying just flew over her head. "…there wasn't a time when we were out of things to talk about…" She was too caught up in drinking the sight of him with her eyes. "…the date didn't feel awkward at all! And…" _Gosh, I could just stare at him for hours…_

"Eri?" Neku suddenly realized that she had a blank look on her face. "Eri! Wh-What's with you?"

"Huh? I heard every word!" she fibbed, scared that he would be cross at her for not listening. _Oh no! He found me out! I've blown it!_

"You know, Eri… I know we're pals and all, but… could you let go of my arm?"

"Your… arm?"

Much to her shock, she saw that both of her hands were wrapped around his arm. She must have done that unconsciously!

"I'm sorry!" she spluttered, her face a livid red. "Sorry sorry sorry! I didn't mean to… Uh, I mean, I wasn't... I didn't know this even happened!"

"Whoa, calm down, Eri." Neku tried to calm her down, a little smile forming on his mouth, though it was obvious that he too was blushing. "Just a small mistake, nothing more…"

"I didn't do it on purpose! Really I didn't!" she cried, mortified. "This wasn't part of my plan, or something, or…"

"Plan?"

"N-No! It's… It's nothing!" _Waah! I said too much!_ "I'm sorry, Neku… I'll sit farther away from now on!"

However, a stifled snort could be heard from Neku. He was covering his mouth in a vain attempt to hide his… laughter? _He's…laughing?_ Indeed, he couldn't hold it in anymore. He started to laugh right then and there. _What's with him?_

More stupefied than angry, Eri prodded him in the arm. "What's going on? What's the deal, Neku?"

"Sorry, Eri," he tried to suppress his guffaws long enough to reply. "It's just… when you were apologizing just now, and you were flailing your arms so comically like that, you kinda remind me of Shiki."

"Comically… Wh-What's that supposed to mean?" Maybe she was a little annoyed now. "And what's this got to do with her?"

"Whenever Shiki makes a huge blunder, that's what she does. Apologise profusely and flap her arms like the wind. It's funny to watch, but it makes her appear cute at the same time.

"What you did was similar to Shiki's behaviour." Neku chortled, quieter this time.

Could it mean that he thought Eri was cute too? No, it couldn't be. Shiki was the shy, reserved type. Acting like a nervous headless chicken would be something her friends might expect of her, and it certainly endeared herself to Neku, but Eri doing the same thing would simply make her look foolish. It just wasn't something that smart, fashionable Eri would normally do, if at all.

There was also the pressing matter of her not making any progress with him. How long did she have to be hurt from listening to him rave about her best friend like she was the best thing since sliced bread? She could stand the crushing feeling in her heart no longer. Without prior thinking and with eyes downcast, she asked him a question:

"Neku… Do you really like Shiki so much that there's no room for me?"

His laughter quickly rattled off and died. In its place was an emptiness, a kind of shock. "Wh-What?"

_Oh no! What did I just say to him?_ thought Eri, panicking for a bit before quickly regaining her composure. _No, no, this is my chance. I must tell him what I really feel about him._

"Well…" Eri refused to look at him, tracing circles with a finger on the leather skin of the couch. "It's just… you always keep talking about her… and you look like you really enjoy her company, but…"

"But what?"

Eri chickened out at the last minute. "Um, nothing… Forget I said anything, Neku."

"Hey, hey now…" Neku clasped his hands on her shoulders gently, causing her to jump slightly. "We're friends, right? You can tell me anything, I'll listen."

"What, like you wouldn't tell anyone?"

"I don't gossip," he said truthfully. "If it's not something you're comfortable with others knowing, Eri, I wouldn't tell."

"Um…" Eri was unsure of whether to proceed or retreat completely and fail.

"You know, someone once told me… 'Trust your partner'! So maybe you're not my partner or what, but you're definitely my friend." He gave her a reassuring smile, completely oblivious to the turbulence inside Eri's mind. "And since you're my friend, anything you wanna keep a secret is safe with me!"

The redness in Eri's face only deepened. He was so kind to her, so caring. She swore, having met so many guys in her life, there never was one so tactful as him. With renewed boldness, she spoke again with determination.

"Neku… I… The truth is… I…"

"Yes?"

"…I like you, Neku."

Time stopped. There wasn't a single sound coming from the busy streets of Shibuya outside the window. It was unusually creepy, as though a nuclear bomb had gone off and they were the only human beings left in town.

Neku found his voice after a while. "C-Come again?"

_I can't back down now. I've got to be firm!_ And so she repeated her last sentence. "I like you, Neku."

"Wh-What?" Neku was incredulous, and wondered if this was another one of her pranks, but the look on her face was too serious even for a deadpan expression, that it was impossible to see how she could be joking. He didn't even need to confirm with her whether she was pulling his leg or not. He _knew_ she meant every word. But still, he knew it to be a good idea to stay on his guard. He was expecting her to burst into laughter after a while, but nothing of the sort happened.

"Eri, um, wow… I don't know what to say… I just… You can't be serious about this."

"No!" Eri almost shouted, urgency in her voice. "I really like you, Neku! I've been trying to tell you for days now, but I never found the chance. I just think you're so cool and such a nice guy… that I completely fell for you!"

Neku remained skeptical, although he noted that her forthrightness was somewhat disturbing. "You can't be serious," he said again, treading carefully. "It's just one of your jokes. That's all, right?"

"You…" Eri was frustrated to the brink of tears. Why couldn't he listen to her? And after all that pep talk about being friends and listening to each other, too! He was such a hypocrite! Was Shiki all he could think about? And not her?

"I'm not lying, Neku!" Eri's hands were balled into fists, shaking angrily. "And… And I'll prove it to you!"

With lightning speed she cupped her hands onto Neku's cheeks and smashed her lips into his. He was stunned, powerless to do anything to stop her as she furiously attacked his mouth with soft, supple lips. Eri was afraid to let him go, for fear that she would never be able to see or talk to him again. At the same time though, she was enjoying her second kiss with him, the very atmosphere a concoction of pleasure and danger.

Eventually Neku's tense body softened up and he let the girl do what she was doing. He had been kissed only once before by Eri; not even Shiki's lips he had tasted, which was understandable as they had only just gone on their first date. The sensation in his mouth was overwhelmingly… good, he had to admit.

Eri broke away with an audible "smack". The frustration had long melted away. Both she and Neku looked at each other without a word.

"Wow," muttered a flabbergasted Neku at last. "Eri, that… I…"

"I like you, Neku…" Eri said. "Are you convinced now?"

"Well, I just didn't think you'd like me. You didn't seem the sort."

"Neku, maybe it's Shiki you're in love with, but please, at least once, give me a chance!"

"Uh… But I'm going out with – "

"Please… I'll do anything for you…" she begged, leaning in again and breathing into his face.

Just before their lips connected again, to her surprise, she heard him whisper, "Okay".

When she kissed him again, he returned it softly and carefully. She felt his hands slowly hug her close to his body, sending shivers down her spine. She could tell Neku was enjoying this. Eri kissed him deeper and with increased passion.

Eri's temperature kept rising exponentially as her lips danced with Neku's. Her mind was starting to blacken with lust and dirtiness. She couldn't think of anything else. Before she knew it, her body was acting on its own. One hand slowly made its way to the zipper of her micro shorts and pulled it down. She forced them off of her hips, sliding them down her luscious legs, whereupon she kicked them aside.

She was about to get to work on her top when she heard a most unexpected thing from Neku.

"Eri… we should probably go somewhere else."

She understood. "To the bedroom it is, then," she sighed into his ear. Still glued to each other and kissing, they hobbled away to the privacy of her bedroom, locking the door behind them. Eri lay on her bed and stretched in the most arousing manner she could manage, enticing him with a come-hither look on her face.

"Come to me, Neku," she growled, "Come and join me."

For a brief moment, Neku felt guilty about cheating on Shiki. He had actually let himself be seduced by this crafty girl, when they both knew he was clearly in love with her best friend. While conscience still had a grasp on his mind, he attempted to protest.

"W-Wait, Eri," he said, watching Eri toy with her pink hair. "On second thought, maybe we shouldn't do this…"

"Hmm?" Eri wasn't listening much, if at all.

"Yeah, you see – "

That sentence trailed to silence and dissolved in Neku's throat as he watched her suddenly sit up in bed and peel off her crop top, which she cheekily tossed in his direction. By instinct, he caught it in his arms. He was immediately struck by the fragrance of Eri's bodily scent that was impregnated in it. She chuckled softly at his reaction.

"If you don't want it," she said, winking at him, "you'll miss out on a lot."

The sight of the curvaceous Eri plucking at the straps of her skimpy white bra, and caressing the low-strung panties which were precariously perched on her hips, made Neku go crazy. All his guilt flew out the window. The matter with Shiki could wait. He simply had to explore more of this beautiful girl. And if she was willing, then what had he to lose?

So he climbed onto her bed, and with their knees on the mattress, they embraced kneeling and resumed chewing each other's lips anew. Eri pulled his shirt off and let him roll his fingertips all over her smooth back. Breaking apart for air, she gasped in awe upon laying her eyes on something that Shiki, or probably no other girl in fact, had never seen before: Neku being topless.

With a trembling hand she traced the surprisingly rigid muscles on his chest, trailing downwards to his abdominals. She knew Neku was handsome but she never thought he had such a ripped body underneath that misshapen hoodie of a shirt. Eri was shivering uncontrollably.

"You… You work out?" she squeaked, in a tiny voice unlike her normal one.

"Well, kind of," replied Neku, who was busy drinking in the sight of Eri's bare body. "Though I don't do weight-lifting all that often."

"You look great," gushed Eri, growing bolder and rubbing her hands on his chest, thoroughly enjoying herself.

Neku said nothing to that, though it was obvious from the small, barely noticeable smile that curled up on his lips that he took it as a compliment.

When he took his pants off by himself, Eri's mouth gaped open. Apparently, he was nursing an erection within his boxers, and it looked ready to burst out of its prison of cotton. She had never seen a man without his clothes on, much less a real… male thing. Unused to the sight, there was not a spot on her face that wasn't red. For that matter, so was Neku from seeing a girl practically naked and so close to him at that.

Neku and Eri did nothing for several moments except blush and fidget. Eventually it was Eri who got things flowing again. She wrapped his neck within her arms, and edged closer to him until their foreheads were touching. Her bra-clad bosom nestled against his chest. _My God_, Neku thought, her breasts squashing against him ever so tantalizingly. _This is heaven_.

When she locked her lips with his once more, their discomfort from being unclothed in each other's presence eased gradually, and they lost no time groping everywhere. Neku was particularly partial to the small of her back, touching it often, pulling at her panties ever so slightly. Eri's hands traveled along every muscle of his tense body, particularly his chest, which she loved placing her hands on.

They fell together onto her bed, continuing to kiss passionately with her underneath him, his well-hardened manhood poking against her crotch, eager to enter. For Eri it was both ticklish and arousing. She finally parted with Neku's chest and reached behind her back to unhook her bra, which came off to expose her petite breasts to the boy. Neku was initially shocked to see a real woman's mammary assets for the first time, but he was impressed.

The air was filled with electricity as they flung their undergarments off. Eri winced upon seeing Neku's… well, she didn't know what one looked like in real life, but it appeared to be just about the right size for her. Then, remembering that she had a small stash of condoms bought specially for that special occasion – like now – she managed to calm a hyperventilating Neku from blindly satisfying his basic desires long enough for her to take the box out of a largely hidden corner of her bedside drawer.

_This is it_, she thought, staring at the unopened box of condoms in her shaking hand. _I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do this right…_

"Maybe I can help," said Neku, close to drooling.

"Not so fast, cowboy," replied Eri coolly, though admittedly it was difficult to maintain her own sanity.

She fished out a square metallic wrapper from the box and tried to tear it open, but her fingers were quivering so much that Neku had to do it for her, to which she mumbled a slurred thank you. This being their first time, both took a few minutes to calm down and read the instruction booklet. After a few fumbled – and frustrated – attempts, they finally managed to put the offending rubber tube on for him.

With the sheath in place, they began to grow excited again. However, Eri suddenly experienced an incongruous wave of guilt. Here they were in her bedroom with all their clothes cast aside, ready to get the final act started, but she felt slightly terrible stealing her best pal's boyfriend.

Should she halt before feelings were hurt, emotions scarred forever? The crossroads she was now hovering at were very important. True, it was she who brought Neku into the whole… mess, but was she really all that prepared to lose her virginity to a boy who wasn't even her lover?

Even more crushing questions came hurling towards her all in one go. Would she and Shiki still be friends if the latter knew of her boyfriend's infidelity? Where would her reputation go once everyone knew? For that matter, both of them may be sexually ready, but they were still at the tender age of sixteen, and as of yet, they were minors. Would they be arrested if word got leaked out that she had slept with Neku?

Neku was in a crawling position and was about to dive in, his throbbing shaft mere inches away from her sweet spot, when Eri scrunched her legs together defensively and covered her bare breasts with her arms.

"Wh-What's wrong?" asked Neku, taken aback.

"I'm… I'm scared, Neku…"

Confused, he pressed for an explanation. "What do you mean? Didn't you want to do this?"

"S-Sorry, I was just… hesitating. So many… doubts. I know I started this, but now I don't know if I'm ready…"

Neku's blue eyes stared straight into her soul, and while Eri would admit any day that they were mesmerizing, it was hard to tell what he was thinking under that poker face of his. What was he planning in this silence? Again more questions bombarded Eri. If it turned out she was unwilling after all, would Neku just go ahead and attack her? She shuddered. _No, Neku would never do such a thing_, she thought, light-headed. _He's my friend_.

The boy spoke again.

"If you're not ready, I wouldn't do this. Trust me. It's your call. I respect your decision. I mean, this is the first time and all, you know. I don't want to spoil it."

That did it. Neku's kind words won her over. Even in the face of such carnal desires, he was cool enough to put her at ease, even going so far as to stop for her sake. She was now truly convinced that she had fallen head over heels in love with him. Once again she was filled with inextinguishable lust that could only be satisfied in one way…

"Oh Neku, you don't know how much your concern means to me," Eri said, unfolding her arms and spreading her legs. "Come."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm certain this time. Sorry for earlier."

"No, that's fine… Okay now…" Neku's breathing was shallow and fast, his eyes turning wild.

"Satisfy me, Neku!" cried Eri, offering herself to him.

Entranced by Eri's seductions, Neku parted her legs some more and wedged himself in between, pushing himself inside her birth canal and tearing her protective barrier in the process. Eri yelped in pain, gripping the sheets and refusing to let go. The destruction of her vaginal diaphragm signified the beginning of the loss of innocence for both her and Neku.

They had both been virgins, but now their virginity was lost forever. It was an irreversible change.

The pain was pretty intense for Eri, and she couldn't stop a tear from rolling out the corner of her eye. She was grimacing a lot. Neku noticed and tried to console her as best as she could.

"Are you alright, Eri?" he asked, genuinely concerned. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so hasty."

"No, Neku, it's not your fault," Eri sobbed, feeling his hardness inside her. "We're both new to this sort of thing. We don't know how this is supposed to be… so this is to be expected. Besides, I'm sure the pain will subside soon enough."

"Alright, if you say so," said Neku. "In the meantime, I'll help you forget the pain."

He brought his lips to hers, kissing deeply. She gasped when he traced the curvy outline of her body with both of his hands, which began at her ribs, sliding down her waist and down to her hips before feeling their way back up until he just touched the sides of her breasts. Eri was trembling uncontrollably. His touches were gentle but electric.

True enough, she felt her pain ebbing away to nothing, and she squeezed her legs against Neku's hips, giving him a silent signal that she was ready to go again. He understood.

He thrust his pelvis against hers slowly at first. Eri moaned in delight as she felt herself adjusting to the length of Neku's shaft. But as this was their first time together in bed, they lacked experience and so their journey into the land of Kama Sutra was awkward and squeamish. Eri would beg him to go faster, but he would slow down one too many times, though not on purpose. He just didn't know the proper way to make love. Then again, neither did she.

The need for instant gratification was making Eri impatient, for while she was enjoying every second, she wanted so badly to have the type of bone-breaking orgasm that she already knew the feeling of through many weeks of masturbation. She wanted him to give it to her.

"Faster, Neku," she breathed, sweat trickling down her toned body. "Faster!"

"I know, Eri," Neku groaned, totally unsure of whether he was making progress or doing nothing at all to satisfy the girl's cravings. "I'm… getting there."

"Ah… good, good…" Eri squeaked as she became aware of him grasping her hips in his hands and pulling her towards him, gently but surely. Finally they were getting somewhere. She wrapped her legs around his pelvis and tightened her grip on him, forcing him to penetrate much deeper than usual inside her. This shocked both of them; apparently, he had yet to explore the entire length of her birth canal!

But it was all good. Now it felt even better with all of him inside her. Eri was starting to feel minor spasms here and there as Neku continued to pump into her. Hearing his grunts in that manly voice of his was turning her on, and she whined gratefully.

Before much longer her body was telling her the crescendo was close at hand. She welcomed it with open arms.

"Eri… I can't hold it in…" Neku panted.

"You're not supposed to… You gotta… let it out… Nngh!"

"Eri!"

"Neku… Oh… Oh, Neku, yes…"

Both boy and girl reached their climax at the same time and yelled as their bodies quaked and shivered from orgasm. The treasure of his loins poured forth out of his shaft into her, or rather, his sheath, but all the same, it felt for all the world like he was flooding her birth canal with his seed. There was so much of it and the sensation was indescribably wonderful. She, on the other hand, was experiencing her own convulsions, but while she was familiar with it by now, this time it was even better because she was sharing these wonderful feelings with the boy she truly loved.

Shaken by aftershock-like spasms, they continued to grunt and holler in pleasure for a minute longer before their energy started to wane and their thrusts became less intense. Eventually Neku fell on top of Eri, his body devoid of energy. Eri was the same, trapped under his slim but wiry frame. He was still firmly stuck inside her, although he was starting to become flaccid, at which point her fluids started dribbling out of her and onto the sheets.

Neku slid himself out and rolled onto his back, settling beside her. Eri, with her hair all messed up, was looking at the magnificent thing he had between his legs, still protected in that little transparent rubber tube, which was chock-full of milky-white cream.

She turned to him and smiled. She was happy. Now she knew what it was like to be a real woman.

"Thank you," was all she could squeeze out of her dry throat before she fell asleep from exhaustion.

Before darkness overcame her, she swore she saw Neku smile…

XOXOXOXOXO

Eri woke up two hours later. She was still in her own bedroom. But she was alone.

She vividly remembered seducing Neku and enticing him to have his way with her, but while it was so good, was it all just a dream? After all, having her friend come over to her house for a round of… you know… That would be completely improbable, right?

However, when she sat up in bed and her blanket flopped off of her chest, she realized that she was still naked. Her privates felt swollen and they hurt quite a bit too. On top of that, when she whisked the covers away, she found some stains on the bed that could only have come from the fluids within her, along with a spot of blood.

_It's my blood_, she thought, realizing that her hymen had been broken. _So it was real… I… Neku… He made love to me here._

_Speaking of which, where is he?_ Her crush was nowhere to be seen, though she secretly hoped that he was just hiding somewhere to surprise her. Her throbbing little spot was eager to be touched again. But he really was gone. _Maybe he's gone back home_.

Eri parted the messy loose strands of hair from her face, before heaving herself off the bed. When she stood up, her body made a slight jolt when a few remnants of her sticky fluids oozed slightly painfully out of her sore area. She knew she stank of sweat and sex, and it simply wouldn't do to have her parents find out. In a few minutes she was relaxing in the bath, massaging herself gently between the legs and reliving every bit of her tryst with Neku.

With a smile, she vowed to see him again. She vowed to make him hers.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Need (Part 2)  
****by BrDPirateMan**

On Monday at school, Eri acted as though nothing had happened at all between her and Neku. Even when she joined a conversation between him and Shiki, cheerily talking about the latest news, nothing bad got stirred up, nothing got reminded... just nothing. Once again she was back to being just his friend and not someone special to him.

In fact, it was such an ordinary day, and Neku showed absolutely no signs of discomfort and guilt around her, that Eri began to wonder if he really went to her house two days ago. But what about the blood on her bed? Surely she couldn't break her own hymen from just fingering herself; that could never happen.

She knew she had done the dirty with Neku… she knew. But his expression when he happened to be alone with her did not change. It confused and hurt her.

_What have I done wrong?_ Eri thought dismally. He was so fantastic when he was with her that day.

Classes had ended for the day and she had to handle some paperwork with the Cheerleaders' Club that she was a proud member of. It wasn't much but she had to do it, and scarcely half an hour had passed by the time she was done.

_I guess I'll never really understand what's on that mysterious mind of his_, she thought, sighing to herself. Mina and Ai, two of her fellow cheerleaders, had accompanied her, busy with forms and other nondescript papers of their own, before they left. Seeing that she was now alone in that classroom, she surreptitiously slipped a hand into her panties to examine her special area again. Even after two days it was still soft and painful. _Maybe that's what happens to everyone after their 'first time'…_

With the few folders of Cheerleader's Club material neatly tucked back in their original places on the shelf – fussy ol' Ai would have a fit if they weren't in alphabetical order – Eri went straight back to her other classroom. She had forgotten to take her school bag with her, so busy was she with club matters, and was heading there to retrieve it.

Eri was about to slide open the door when she heard strange muffled sounds coming from inside. Now on alert mode, she listened closely, trying her best to discern what they were, but they weren't very clear.

Then a voice rang out. A female voice. "N-Neku!"

Eri's heart stopped. What was that all about? There was a girl inside, she knew for sure. But why was she calling the boy's name?

"We should probably be getting back now," said the owner of the voice.

"Not yet, Shiki," said Neku. "Just a few more minutes?"

"Um… okay. But this is the last one…"

Shiki! Her best friend was inside that classroom, all alone with Neku! Eri's palms grew sweaty and blood rushed from her face. Why were they alone in the first place? _Don't tell me they're going to…_

Unable to contain her curiosity, Eri nudged the door as silently as she could, making a small gap that she could look through. She grew wide-eyed at what she saw. Her hand shot up to her mouth to stop her from gasping at the sight of Neku locked in a tight embrace with Shiki, who was kissing him with surprisingly feral enthusiasm. The bespectacled girl had taken off her blazer and her collar was open, her tie hanging loose.

She looked like she was enjoying herself… and for that matter, so did Neku…

Eri grew dizzy. Their kissing seemed to become more passionate now… _Are they planning to… Are they really going to…do _that? _In here?_

She didn't want to know. So she didn't stick around either. Her legs took her swiftly away to the nearest washroom, where she locked herself in a cubicle, trying to stay sane after that harrowing sight. But even in the relative peace of that damp, dirty place, it was impossible to stop imagining about what Neku was going to do with Shiki.

_Neku…Why?_ Eri tried to stabilize her swaying head in her hands. _After what we did, you still aren't interested in me?_ Her eyes welled up with tears unshed. She slammed her fist against the door in frustration.

_I'm not a slut!_ she protested half in anger, half in crippling sadness. _I love you but I'm not your plaything to practice on just so you could make perfect love to Shiki!_

Eri sobbed quietly, alone in the washroom and not a friend nearby to console her. Not her supposed best pal Shiki, not the charming Neku, not fellow Prince fans Ai and Mina and not even the slow but likeable Beat.

It would appear that she had lost her virginity to Neku… for nothing.

XOXOXOXOXO

For the rest of the week Eri was hopelessly despondent. She came to realize that no matter what she did, she would simply be a friend to Neku and nothing more. What was worse was that after the planning she had put into her attempts to ensnare him, and especially after their first time, she remained as distant to him as ever.

Everyone noticed how slow and lifeless she had become, except perhaps Neku, who acted as though the obvious couldn't be seen. Shiki tried to ask her what the matter was with her, but of course she couldn't tell her the truth. It was ironic that Eri couldn't turn to her best friend for comfort. In fact, she couldn't turn to anyone.

Fashion was her life and soul, but without any spirit to pursue her hobby, her designs for new clothes lay unfinished on her table. She and Shiki were inseparable, an admirable tag team. Eri had good fashion sense and her brain was often overflowing with wild ideas which she put to paper. But she lacked the skill to sew, which Shiki had, and so it was her bespectacled partner who brought her creations to life.

Working together on new designs and seeing how well they turned out – they always turned out well with Shiki as she was an amazing seamstress – was fulfilling and strengthened their friendship beyond measure. Eri felt a tinge of guilt when she recalled the time she tried to console Shiki who was trying to think up of a design herself, but without any luck. She had told her, in an attempt to make her friend feel better, that Shiki wasn't meant to be a designer. But while Eri meant that she was better as a seamstress, Shiki took it the wrong way and their friendship suffered a little.

The truth is, following that mishap, that Shiki was the sole victim in a car accident, but as Eri's painful memories of her death were erased, along with everyone else's, she had no idea that Shiki had in fact died.

An apology on Eri's part, followed by a tearful bearhug shared between the two of them afterward healed their wounds, and they were partners once again.

But Eri knew that stealing Neku from her would have a tremendous impact on the friendship they took so long to forge. She knew that keeping quiet about it was the right thing to do, although she knew she shouldn't have seduced Neku in the first place…

"What will I do now?" muttered Eri to herself, milling along the backstreets of Udagawa. "I'm so bored, but I'm not in the mood to do anything."

As she was staring at the wild colourful splendour of the CAT mural, she thought she heard a name being called. Her name. She thought it was probably her imagination; it was too soft after all, so she continued to make out the crazed and demented shapes of the large graffiti painting while Brainy Cat watched her seemingly with as much curiosity as her.

Then she heard it again. Louder this time.

"Eri! Hey there!"

Eri spun round to locate the source of the voice. She jumped when she saw it was a familiar orange-headed boy…

"N-Neku," she gasped, blood starting to fill her cheeks. "What are you doing here?"

Neku himself was surprised to see her here. He definitely did not expect her to appear before the CAT mural of all places. The 104 Building or in fact any of the boutiques would be her usual hang-out spot, but the backstreets of Udagawa? This was a first.

"I… I come here all the time," he said. "It's got some… memories."

"Memories, huh…" All that had appeared in Eri's head at the moment was the harrowing sight of him and Shiki making out in the classroom that day. Neku still looked so handsome but now her perfect image of him was forever tainted by the fact that he may have done the dirty with Shiki.

"Are you by any chance a fan of CAT?" asked Eri in an attempt to divert her uneasiness away.

"Yeah, always has been… His ideologies… they're stuff I can relate to." Neku shuffled over to stand beside Eri, his eyes on the painted brick wall. The boy of her dreams was standing so close to her that her heart was doing somersaults.

For a couple of minutes not a word was spoken between them. They just looked at the mural. Eri was trying to act normal but seeing Neku kissing Shiki left a very deep impression on her. Above all, she was curious to find out what exactly had happened between them. Neku wouldn't tell her on his own accord, so the only way she could know about it was to ask…

She chose her words carefully, knowing that what she was going to ask was an especially touchy matter. "Neku, you know, what… are your feelings about Shiki?"

Neku was taken aback for a bit, and hesitated before speaking. "Shiki, huh? Well, she's nice and all…"

"Do you like her? As in, really really like her?"

"I… Of course I like her, Eri."

"But not me?" Eri asked carelessly.

Neku was struggling to find the right words to answer her. He managed a safe reply. "…I like all my friends, Eri. And of course, I like you too!" He even gave her a slight reassuring smile.

_He acts as though he's forgotten what's happened between us._ Eri knew that the way things were going, she would never get any real answers. The only way to go about it was the direct way.

"Neku, what am I to you?" she asked bluntly.

"What?"

The beauty of her soulful eyes was marred by hurt feelings. "Am I just… someone to have fun with, and nothing more? A mere toy?"

"I…" Neku began, "I'm confused, Eri. What do you mean?"

"Neku, I was so glad when you made love to me," Eri said, her voice choked with emotion. "But I saw you kissing Shiki that day after school."

Neku's face turned pale. "You saw us?"

"After we got wasted in bed, you'd still want to be with her?"

Now unsure of what to say, Neku could only blurt out the next thing he could think of. "But… But I'm going out with her. Wasn't it you who helped bring us together in the first place, Eri?"

"Yes, I know," said Eri, turning away to hide a falling tear. "That makes it hurt even more. I… I can't let go of you, Neku. I still love you. I need to be with you."

Neku was about to say something to try and counter her flimsy argument, but she spoke first.

"That day, Neku, in the classroom… you had sex with Shiki… didn't you?"

"What?" Neku spluttered, heat building up on his face. "No! Sure, we were kissing and she took off her blazer, but that was because she was getting, uh, hot and sweaty from it. We didn't do anything else!"

"Is that so?"

"I'm telling the truth!" said Neku. "We haven't gone to that stage yet!" _Why do I have to explain myself to her?_ he thought, exasperated. _I'm not even dating her. It's not like I'm cheating on her, though I _was_ cheating on Shiki that day…_

Eri was not sure whether to believe him or not.

"The only person I've ever done it with is… you."

The girl blushed. It was true, they lost their virginity to each other and together. Then when the orange-haired boy held her by the shoulders firmly and looked straight into her eyes, it only made her blush even more.

"My heart is with Shiki. I love her. But Eri, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have _some _feelings towards you. You're such a great pal, after all."

Eri couldn't believe her ears. _He actually likes me?_ "Neku, maybe I'm asking too much, but if it's okay with you, I'd like to be something of a lover to you… behind Shiki's back, of course." She knew her request was a long shot. It was simply too outrageous to even consider. But the slim chance that Neku might made it all worth a shot.

His lips trembled a little. Eri awaited his answer with bated breath.

"That's… a deal," said Neku at last.

"Really?"

"Positive. Besides," he said with a slight chuckle, "I think you're pretty cute yourself."

"Oh, Neku…" Unable to contain herself, Eri flung herself at Neku and hugged him tightly, as though afraid that if she let go, she would never see him again.

He let her cling onto him while he stroked her back, astounded by how well her envy-inducing frame fit so perfectly against his. The vanilla-scented perfume she was wearing was intoxicating and filled his nostrils. He loved how her firm bosom pressed against him, making his spine tingle. His hands lightly touched the small of her back, which was exposed as she was wearing her favourite crop top, and noted with approval how low-slung her mini-skirt was. Why, he was certain it would slip off her hips any second…

In fact, he was itching to test that theory…

Neku looked around to see if there was anyone in the vicinity – there was none – and carefully slotted two thumbs into the hoops in Eri's skirt, tugging downwards. He was surprised to find how well it stayed on. He pulled a little harder, and at this, Eri noticed.

Eri let out an audible gasp when she felt hands on her hips. "Neku!"

"Sorry," Neku mumbled sheepishly, stopping immediately. "I was… I was just being mischievous."

Eri simply gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"I don't mind," she whispered, her nose touching against his.

In two seconds flat her mini-skirt was crumpled at her feet. She kissed his neck repeatedly, fueled by a burning desire. She knew what they both wanted to do.

"Is it okay to do it here?" whispered Eri, trepidation thick in her voice. "This is a public place, you know."

"I've been a visitor to this spot long enough to know when this place is bustling with people and when it isn't," said Neku, digging a hand into her tight crop top, nudging it upwards to signal her to take it off. She did.

"We can have the alley all to ourselves?" Eri asked, fiddling with the straps of her creamy white bra.

"It's evening and most folks would have gone back for dinner by now," explained Neku. "So yeah, it's pretty quiet at this time."

"If someone sees us here," snarled Eri, pulling down the zipper of Neku's pants, "I'll kill you." That last sentence she said with a wicked grin.

Neku merely smiled as she leaned against his body with her back to his chest, pulling his pants down. He wrapped one arm around her waist while he caressed her firm buttocks. Slowly he began to reach up to her chest, and his fingers brushed against the side of her bosom.

"You know, Neku, isn't this the sort of thing you should be doing to Shiki?" Eri teased.

"She's not ready even if I am," Neku retorted, nuzzling his chin into her neck, their cheeks touching. "But you are."

Eri giggled some more as she allowed him to grope her breasts. She was a growing teenager, and lately she discovered that her chest had gotten slightly bigger. It was straining against the tight material of her seamless bra. His fingers were tweezing with the straps, going underneath and pulling at them.

"Watch it, Neku," she chided gently. "This bra's expensive."

"Heh. Can't help it. So if you want me to stop playing with it, you'll have to take it off, though I can help you with that…"

Before she could reply, Neku had already undone the clasp from behind. He slid her bra out of her arms, letting it drop to the ground, before squeezing her breasts again but harder. Eri was momentarily shocked at his audacity but was getting seriously aroused.

"Help me take off my panties," said Eri softly, turning to kiss him on the cheek.

"Hmm..."

If Neku undoing her bra by himself was daring enough, what he did next took the cake. She gasped when he plunged one hand deep into her panties, massaging her crotch, which she made a point to wax to keep it nice and smooth. The feeling of her skin in that area that saw no sun was enthralling for Neku, who couldn't stop fondling. His other hand continued to squeeze one of her breasts and caress her flat stomach.

_He really knows how to touch the right places_, thought Eri, who began to pant and wheeze in demented pleasure from his relentless hands, and in no time at all she was getting wet between the legs.

"Ooh, Neku… I really need you to take them off now."

"Maybe later," said Neku, enjoying how her privates had become so deliciously slimy. The juices were soaking fast through the cotton, making her fidget uncomfortably. No one likes wet underwear.

"I'm soaked, Neku," she said, face red from her exertions. "Take it off!"

"Uh-huh." He smiled, refusing to budge. This was definitely not something he could do with Shiki.

"You must be enjoying this," Eri hissed, "I'll bet you – Aaah!" She gave a small scream when his slippery fingers went inside her, truly by accident. He wasn't expecting that either, but she sounded good when he did that, so he knew he was on the right track. He began sliding his fingers in and out.

"Dammit, Neku," Eri was close to tears from impatience. "Off! Panties! Now!"

Where had he heard these words before? Ah yes, it was during the Reapers' Game when Shiki was his partner. She had found a loose button on his shorts and forced his pants off of him to mend it. And she said those exact three words, except that it was "pants" instead of "panties". Chuckling to himself, he was amused by the uncanny similarity. What made it even stranger still is that Shiki had Eri's appearance during the Game.

Eri failed to see the humour in it, though; she had not been in the Game and neither Neku nor Shiki had told her about it. "I can't wait anymore!" cried Eri urgently, fluids pouring out of her ravaged gate, through her panties, down the insides of her thighs. "I need you in me!"

"Now?" Neku was having fun tormenting the girl.

"Do me, Neku…" Eri practically screamed. "_Do me now!_"

Without another word, he freed her of her panties. A plop was heard as her hopelessly wet panties hit the concrete ground. Finally devoid of any clothing, Eri turned round to face her opponent and ripped the rest of his clothes off before kissing him madly.

They were so heated up that they decided to make out in the darkness of the alley, guided only by the soft glow of the street lamp nearby, taking care to stay well within the shadows. They lay on the slightly sandy concrete, with her underneath him like before. Urgency filled them. Foreplay was over and done with; the time for union had come. Eri spread her legs for Neku, inviting him in with a view of her moist, glistening treasure. And Neku immediately clambered on top of her, shoving his shaft deep inside, eliciting a shameless cry from the girl. There was no pain this time, only pleasure.

She was so well lubricated by now, no thanks to Neku, that it was getting hard to achieve orgasm with so much of the friction gone, but for them nothing was impossible…

They just needed to compensate by rubbing against each other harder and faster… Eri was panting as she fought to keep up with Neku's breakneck speed. Once or twice the thought of being discovered crossed her mind and she grew uneasy, but it wouldn't be long before orgasm. Once they were done they'd be out of there in double-quick time.

Eri couldn't contain her moans of delight as he penetrated further up inside her. The skin of her elbows and hips was chafing against the rough sandpapery texture of the ground, and she knew she would have to wear sweaters for some time now to cover up her bruises, but that could be taken care of later. It seemed as though Neku was going through her… like a laser. He was such a beast, his strokes determined and powerful. Eri's moans now turned into screams, and Neku chiding her for being so loud failed to stop her. He began to fear that someone would notice.

"My… Ah… My second time…" the girl was shamelessly wringing the words from her mouth. "Aagh!"

In another pressing matter, Neku also realized that in the heat of the moment, he had forgotten to slip on protection, but he was too delirious to stop. Then again, he didn't have any condoms on his person, and Eri had none either. As he continued to invade her insides, he felt his climax within reach.

At the last moment, he forcibly pulled out of Eri, who was taken by surprise as she didn't expect the whole thing to end so quickly. Neku directed his manhood to the side, safely away from Eri, and groaned loudly as he let go. The girl watched, half in amusement and half in shock, as white sticky liquid squirted out of him in a wide arc that splattered against the wall in an accidental and unfortunate desecration of CAT's most famous work.

At first she was amazed at the whole spectacle, never having seen Neku do that before. In fact she thought it was something he wanted to show off to her, as in "Look, I can hit the wall from three feet away!" But when she noticed that Neku's oozing shaft was missing a certain very important something, the realization of the situation hit her like a sledgehammer.

"Neku," she stammered, the romance completely gone. "You… You didn't wear protection?"

The orange-haired boy looked away in shame.

Eri bolted upright on the floor in the corridor, horror growing fast like a virus. "You didn't wear anything?"

"…Sorry."

"You're sorry? _You're sorry?_" she snapped furiously. "How could you forget? How could you be so… so irresponsible, Neku!"

"That's why I… I stopped and pulled out."

His feeble explanation failed to convince her, and she slapped him. Stunned, the boy could only stare at her, wide-eyed with shock as he nursed his cheek with one hand.

"How could you!" she seethed, tears welling up in her eyes, "I'm going to get pregnant because of you! That's going to be the end of my reputation, my life… and it's all because of you and your stupid little mistake!"

"I-I'm sorry, Eri. I…"

"_Leave me alone!_" Eri clawed her scalp with her fingers in frustration.

Neku knew better than to try to reason with an angry person, especially when he was the cause of their fury. So instead of consoling her, he got back into his clothes and made a hasty retreat back home.

Racked in sobs, Eri buried her face in her hands. She hated herself, she hated Neku. She hated everyone! Oh, how she rued the day she met him!

When she got back home, the first thing she did was to take a shower. She tried her very best to clean out the orifice that Neku violated so intensely, hoping to wash out whatever he may have deposited inside.

Finally, overcome by dizziness and rage, she simply sat in the shower and let warm water wash over her while she bawled her heart out.

XOXOXOXOXO

Eri avoided Neku for the next few days after that incident. For that matter, to stay away from her fury, Neku did his best to keep away from her as well. He sent her text messages though, to say how sorry he was for being so careless and such a jerk, but she replied to none of them.

The cheeriness she put on while talking to her friends was only a mask to hide the fear within.

She loved Neku, and Neku clearly had some affection for her despite the fact that he was going out with Shiki, but while she relished the times when he made love to her, she had no intention of becoming a parent so soon. She took showers three times a day in an attempt to clean herself out, but while she knew it would probably be pointless, she carried on with it anyway.

_Neku would be the father_, she thought in dismay, lying down on her bed one day after a particularly vigorous shower. Wrapped in just her towel, she thought about the whole sequence of events surrounding him: how she first knew him, how she befriended him and found him to be such a cute guy, how she started falling in love with him, and how, overcome by hormones and irrepressible emotions, she eventually seduced him in her own bed.

Eri could remember his scent when he kissed her neck. Right now, alone in her room, she could still feel the tingling sensation of his fingertips grazing against her skin as he stroked her bare back. And the pain when he broke her virginal barrier was but a distant memory now.

She still loved him and wanted him. She could not just ignore him now, not when they had already come this far.

Getting up from her bed, she decided to face her predicament like a warrior. She would try not to be afraid and see what the best course of action would be at this stage. And she felt that for now, the sensible thing to do would be to head over to a pharmacy and buy herself a pregnancy kit.

She was back in her room in 30 minutes flat with kit hidden in her pocket. The pharmacist, Dr Fumiko, had expressed a gentle but knowing smile when Eri told her what she needed. And with words of kindness, the good doctor told her that if Eri needed any help, she could come to her, an offer for which the teenager was thankful for.

Steeling her nerves, Eri prepared herself in the bathroom. Trepidation immobilized her initially, but she knew that sooner or later she would have to face the results.

XOXOXOXOXO

It was a sunny Friday afternoon and Neku had just finished a second date with Shiki at the Sunshine fast food restaurant. It would have been more enjoyable if he wasn't distracted by the constant fear that he might have gotten Eri knocked up when they got it on in front of the CAT mural.

Shiki had noticed the look of worry on his face, though he had tried to cover it up as best as he could. "What's wrong?" she had asked him, concerned. "Neku, are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine, Shiki. I… Well, I'm fine really. Just… spaced out for a bit."

At which point Shiki playfully dabbed him on the nose with her index finger. "You've been out of it these few days actually. Maybe it's all the homework and stuff. I know Ms Kanako is pretty liberal with giving out assignments. But it's okay…" She rubbed her hand affectionately on Neku's. "If you need help, just ask. I might be able to do something."

"Thanks. It's getting late. Should we be off for the evening?"

So after walking her back home, he found himself sitting on a bench in Miyashita Park, staring at the sunset. The clouds were tinted orange and red as the sun made its usual descent down the west side of town. He could stay there and watch forever.

Neku began to ponder over the events that had occurred thus far. Shiki was currently his girlfriend, but Eri, who loved him as much as Shiki, was a potential lover too. The most prominent question in his mind was "Who should I pick?"

Shiki was warm and friendly and truly cared about him. She may not have as striking a face as the other girls in school such as Eri or Ai or Mina, but to him she was absolutely beautiful. She was the girl of his dreams. She was perfect.

But Eri was a great friend too who prided herself with being overly concerned about his welfare. She was fun to hang around with, and her chirpy, lively personality could lift the rain clouds off a dull day.

And of course, he couldn't forget the fact that he and Eri had been intimate with each other… twice.

Shiki or Eri. Eventually he would have to take only one of them and not the other. So hard to decide. No one can have his cake and eat it, after all. He knew he was cheating on Shiki by being with her best friend, and was well aware that what he was doing was despicable, but Eri was so irresistible. Her likable demeanor, her pretty face, her luscious body… There was no guy who wasn't fascinated by her. And Neku was under her magic spell.

He was about to think about what to do with the current predicament with Eri, when his cell phone suddenly rang in his pocket. His face turned pale when he saw the name of the caller on the screen.

Eri.

He was tempted for a quick moment to ignore her call and forget everything that had happened. It would be so easy to chuck all his troubles behind him and not see them again. But he knew that was not the way to do things in life. When you're faced with a problem, you have to look it straight in the eye and solve it.

He answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Neku… I… It's me, Eri."

"Hi, Eri. What's up?"

"You free right now? I need to talk to you; it's important."

"Um, as a matter of fact, yeah. I'm free. I'm at Miyashita Park."

"Great. I'll see you there in ten minutes. Don't move, please."

Eri ended the call, leaving Neku to wonder with fear if she wanted to tell him in person that she was indeed pregnant.

XOXOXOXOXO

As Neku stared into the rapidly descending darkness of the night, a familiar figure loomed in the distance. As it approached him he instantly recognized it as Eri. His heart lurched.

For the first time in his life he was genuinely frightened to see her. Eri wasn't the type to make people uncomfortable. She had a great personality and was easy to get along with everyone. No one felt pressured or uneasy near her. But for Neku, she looked like the Grim Reaper with her black, tight-fitting tank top and dark jeans. He could almost swear he saw a small scythe sticking out from behind her.

Nothing was said between them for a few seconds even when Eri walked right up in front of him. Her face was a mixture of sadness and a bit of leftover anger.

Neku knew that he _had_ to know, though. So it was him who spoke first.

"Eri, um…" He rubbed the back of his head. "What's new?"

"Neku, I have the results."

"Results?"

"I… I bought a pregnancy kit. And I used it."

Neku gulped. He just knew his life would be over. How he cursed himself for not putting on protection that day.

Eri, seeing no response from the boy, continued. "So anyway, I used it… And… Well…"

"What is it?" asked Neku, dying to know. "You gotta tell me."

"I'm… I'm pregnant…"

Blood rushed away from Neku's face, giving him a sick-looking pallor. He broke into a cold sweat and his entire body was so chilly. Paralysis overcame him. No muscle responded to his will. No limb budged. All he could do was stand there in silence and stare at Eri like he had seen a ghost.

Eri was pregnant… He couldn't believe it. Their carelessness… _his_ carelessness… had led to this. She was carrying his unborn child. He was the father. He would have to bear the weight of his responsibility.

"I… No, this… This is…" Neku could take it no longer and gave Eri a reassuring hug. He wasn't the type to cry, but the hopelessness of the situation made him weep.

"I'm so sorry, Eri," he said with a choked voice. "It's my fault. I'll… We don't have a choice. I'll… I'll take it from here."

Eri said nothing.

"Maybe I'll take up a job so we can support ourselves," continued Neku, "so if there's anything you need just let me know. I'll be there for you."

The blush on Eri's face grew redder.

Eri whispered into his ear. "Neku, I'm pregnant…

"…not."

Neku stopped.

"What?"

"I'm not pregnant."

"WHAT?" Neku released his hold on her and looked straight into her eyes with his own tear-encrusted ones. She was giggling slightly.

"I know," she said. "I'm really not pregnant. I took the test, but I was so relieved to find out that I'm in the clear. Are we lucky or what?"

"But… How did…"

"Neku, I was just pulling your leg. But do you see how serious the situation could have become? It could have taken a turn for the worse."

The boy looked down on the ground in shame.

"Neku… please," whispered Eri, touching his arm lightly. "I'm not going to embarrass you by telling you what to do, but the next time we… well, you know what to do."

"Yeah." Neku nodded slowly at first, then with a vigorous last one to confirm that he understood. "I've got it. Sorry, Eri. I'll be more careful from now on. I'll just head over to the nearest convenience store right now and buy myself a packet. It's gonna be embarrassing buying such things, but it's not as bad as having to tell everyone I got you… um… you know."

Eri smiled. "I like your positive thinking, Neku. That should be it." She edged closer to his face. "I still love you, Neku," she sighed. "I don't want to lose you."

"Me neither," said Neku silently.

The two shared a warm, slow kiss together before they parted ways for the night.

And true to his word, the first thing Neku did after they left the park was to buy a pack of condoms from the nearest 24-hour convenience store. To his surprise, the clerk did not show any sign of curiosity whatsoever, much to his relief and puzzlement.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Need (Part 3)  
****by BrDPirateMan**

Little by little, Neku was becoming more inclined to liking Eri more than Shiki. He was still unsure whether it was love or lust that drove him, but he could be sure of one thing and that was he couldn't get enough of this girl. With her curvaceous body, revealing clothes and lively disposition, Eri was every boy's wet dream. The kind of girl every teenage boy would dream of getting naked and making love to. A masturbatory fantasy.

And he was living this very dream as reality.

Something about getting into bed with Eri was compelling. Perhaps it was the way she would do lap dances on him while peeling her clothes off in close proximity. Maybe it was the little things, like her wonderful-sounding moans, or the salty taste of her skin when he licked her on the neck, shoulders and between her breasts… It could be the manner in which Eri responded to his every move, squirming to his touch and kisses as she lay trapped and vulnerable underneath him… More likely it would be the fact that he fit so snugly inside her, creating the most heavenly of sensations as he rocked to and fro on top of her.

Either way Eri pushed all the right buttons for Neku.

Having sex together became an integral part of Neku's and Eri's lives, though it was obviously kept a secret from everyone. Eri parents were frequent travelers, being involved in some kind of business or something, so she was often left home alone to take care of herself. This freedom was something she really squeezed the advantages out of to maximum effect, evident from the number of times she invited Neku over for some "fun".

She didn't know how many times he came over for this purpose. Either she didn't care or lost count. But if she had to hazard a guess, at one point they had made love for a total of seven times.

Admittedly, there were a few times when Eri's guilt would resurface, but the moment Neku's naked body came into view, pumping his absolutely wonderful shaft into her, she would forget about it all again.

Neku had once voiced his fears to Eri as they lay in bed after a particularly exhausting session.

"Eri, is it really okay for us to make out so often? If someone finds out, we're finished. We may even go to jail. I mean, we're not even 18 yet!"

Eri had placed her index finger on Neku's lips softly. "If you don't tell anyone and I don't, no one will ever know."

"So it's a secret between the two of us, it would seem."

"That's right," said Eri, snuggling up to him.

Parents are out. Invite Neku. Neku comes. Get it on. Once. Maybe twice. Neku leaves. Clean up mess. Hide evidence. Act normal when parents are back.

It almost became routine for them.

Then came one particular Friday which would be a day that Eri would never forget. Unfortunately, not in a good way.

XOXOXOXOXO

Classes had ended on that fateful day. Everyone was hoisting bags onto their shoulders, noisily chattering and eager to leave the premises. It was the end of another grueling week of school, and the need to relax for the weekend was thick in their minds.

Shiki hooked an arm around Neku's as he was checking his desk to see if he left anything behind. With slight surprise, he turned to look at Shiki.

"Oh, Shiki, what is it?" he asked with a smile.

"I was thinking maybe we could walk home together," giggled Shiki, her cheeks glowing pink. She was simply adorable when she blushed. "We haven't been able to do that for a good while now, right, Neku?"

"Yeah, that's cool with me! Let's go."

"By the way, Neku," chirped Shiki. "Thanks again for the ticket."

"Oh, it's nothing…" The Prince's latest concert was on Sunday and Neku had bought a pair of tickets for both himself and Shiki.

Neku still liked Shiki's company, but he couldn't ignore the fact that Eri was a source of romantic happiness for him too. This disturbed him greatly. He was two-timing his girlfriend, and his… mistress, the cheery Eri who brought them together in the first place, was in the middle of the entire freaking mess.

He was not comfortable with it, even though Eri might be. He had to make a decision. After all, he wouldn't be able to keep up the charade for much longer…

Even before they left the by then empty classroom, his cell phone chimed. "Oh, a message," he said absent-mindedly. "'Scuse me a sec while I read this, Shiki."

"Okay."

He dug into his pocket, fished out his cell phone to start reading the message and was shocked to see the name of the sender.

It was Eri.

_No… what does she want this time? I'm not exactly free right now._

With the screen turned safely away from Shiki, though in a convincing way, he scrolled through.

_Hi Neku_, Eri had written, _where r u? Can u meet me at rooftop now? Sorry, just a little sumthin I need to ask of you. C U there?_

What could it be that Eri wanted? He was curious. Every time before they agreed to get dirty, she would tell him to come over to her place. It was always at her apartment that they would make love. But here she was asking to see him on the rooftop of the school. He guessed it must be something really urgent… nothing to do with sex at all, right?

"What's up, Neku?" Shiki's angelic voice broke his chain of thoughts.

"Oh, um, Shiki… Something has cropped up. Apparently one of my baseball teammates needs to see me. Something about club activities." Neku was an ace baseball player in school. "Sorry, but could you go on ahead without me?"

The disappointment on Shiki's face stabbed Neku in the heart like a dagger. For a good instant he considered ignoring Eri altogether and having a nice walk with this girl. But apparently it was not enough to change his mind. He was still intent on seeing Eri.

"Well, that's okay, Neku," she said. Then she cheered up. "Let's meet up soon though. Okay?"

"Yeah! Of course!"

"And I'll see you at the concert on Sunday, Neku!"

"Sure…!"

And with this he bolted away for the stairs, leaving Shiki to rub her arm in slight sadness. She would have to walk home alone again… But at the back of her mind, a thought tugged at her. Neku was acting awfully strangely these days...

XOXOXOXOXO

Eri was waiting impatiently on the rooftop, sitting on the concrete and letting the sun shine down on her face. Even for the middle of the day, it was pleasantly warm. Not too cold, not too hot. There were some clouds in the sky, but none so big that it would threaten to rain.

A click was heard as the door opened. She saw Neku emerge and called him over.

"Eri, what's going on?" Neku asked, sitting beside her. "Did something crop up?"

"W-Well, kind of…" muttered Eri, failing to contain the redness on her face.

"Did I get in trouble again?" he probed further. "Ms Kanako is not mad at me again, is she?" He was referring to their form teacher, who was not famous for having a good temper.

"Oh, no, nothing of the sort. It's… It's just…"

"What?"

The girl tugged at his sleeve and lowered her voice just enough for Neku to hear. "I… I need a cummie."

"A what?"

"I'm about to go crazy right now and I need some good old-fashioned loving to clear my head."

"Eri? Oh goodness…" Neku slapped his forehead. "You have got to be kidding me. Are you telling me to hump you right now?"

Eri nodded shamelessly.

"Why now anyway?" Neku's voice had a slight tinge of annoyance. "And of all the places to have sex… the rooftop of a school! Someone might find us, like the janitor or someone! Are you out of your mind?"

"I don't care, Neku…!" Eri gritted her teeth. "I'm going to explode any time now."

"But…"

Eri pinched him in the arm.

"Now!"

"Ow, man!" Neku nursed his arm. _Geez, this girl… she's totally oversexed!_ "Okay, okay, fine. We'll do it right here and now. But I'm warning you, this is the last time we're doing this in a public place. Next time we do this it'll be at your house when your parents are out. You hear me?"

"Yes. I hear you," Eri breathed. She was so glad that he finally gave in. She lay down and lifted her skirt.

"We'll have to make this short and quick. The longer we take the riskier it becomes."

Neku roughly yanked her panties down to reveal her sweet spot, already wet and glistening in the sunlight. He fished out his wallet, took out a familiar-looking square packet and ripped it open. Eri watched as he sheathed his very rigid instrument of love. Her breath quickened in anticipation.

He was so hard and she was so tight as he pushed his shaft in. Their parts rubbed together and grew so nice and hot that Eri could have sworn Neku was made of fire. _This is gonna be one hell of a gooooood quickie_, she thought, feeling his manhood balloon up completely inside her. "This is really sinful," teased Eri, loving the way it was pulsating against her tunnel.

"I guess we're all sinners at the end of the day," he shrugged, "so come on and let's get this started. My parents are going to freak if I get back home too late." Eri nodded in agreement, pushing in and pulling out with her entire body.

As a moaning Neku slid in and out slowly and rhythmically, small encouraging noises escaped from Eri's throat.

"Mmm… Aah… W-Wonderful…" moaned Eri, feeling sweat soaking into her blazer.

"Speed up, Eri," said Neku, blood pumping into his head at breakneck speeds. "We really don't want to be late for lunch."

"You speed up," she retorted, suddenly feeling a great spasm as Neku jabbed deeply into her in retaliation. The boy could feel the girl's inner walls massaging his organ. If there was a word to describe "greater than magnificent", this feeling would be it.

Neku was kneading her breasts through her half-open blazer when her shrill voice rang through the air alarmingly. "Oh god!"

"Shh! You'll alert someone!"

"But… But I can't stop it. When I need to scream, I just… Aaagh!"

"_Eri!_"

"Sorry, Neku… But… ahh… this… this is such a good… a good… AAAH!"

"Quiet!"

Eri tried to keep her voice down, but it was difficult. Neku was genuinely afraid that everyone would hear and rush in to see what was wrong. Thinking quickly, he jammed his lips against hers to shut her up. It worked admirably. Like a baby with a pacifier, she stayed silent… at least for a little while.

Along came a particularly jarring spasm and she involuntarily yelped, causing Neku to panic.

"Eri! You'll wake the dead!"

"Ha… ha… very… nngh… funny…"

"I'm serious! Rrgh… I can't hold it in myself. Quick! Kiss me!"

"Wha…"

"Just do it!"

Clumsily and without grace, she plastered her lips onto his, her bosom pressing against his chest. All Neku needed to do was keep her mouth occupied long enough for her to have her orgasm.

Eri was starting to shudder, indicating she was going to have an orgasm soon, and it appeared that Neku would have his at about the same time as her. From past experience, he knew she was prone to screaming where climaxes were concerned, so he kissed harder. She tried to pull away for a bit to let out a cat-like yell, but Neku kept her head in place with his hands, their lips never parting. This was their secret life. There was absolutely no way anyone would know. Especially not Shiki.

The tip of Neku's shaft tickled the very end of Eri's cervix, giving rise to massive spasms which shook her body.

"Mmmmph…!" she tried to yell and disperse her pent-up energy, but Neku's mouth prevented her lips from moving. He kissed even harder.

"Mmmh… Hmmmngh!" Eri knew she was in a public place, but she needed to call out to the heavens. She pinched him, trying to force his mouth open. Unfortunately, Neku had a high threshold of pain. The poor girl was dying to let it out.

_Just a little longer…_ Neku was counting the seconds. It wouldn't be long before they –

Tears of frustration previously unshed seeped out of Eri's eyes as she screamed into Neku's mouth. She convulsed like she was electrocuted and Neku thought, scared for a while, that she was going to faint. He felt an instantly recognizable warmth spreading up his shaft, but he had more self-control. All that could be heard out of him was a weak "umph" as he released his bounty of rich, warm syrup.

Unfortunately, while they were busy reveling in their several seconds of carnal bliss, neither Neku nor Eri noticed the door opening…

Only when Eri saw a figure out of the corner of her eye did she shriek. That was when Neku, who had been hard at work satisfying both her and himself, followed her wide-eyed stare and was thoroughly shocked himself.

The uninvited guest had opened the door and come to the rooftop only to be greeted by the sight of Neku and Eri naked from the waist down and copulating. She brought a hand to her lips, shaking uncontrollably from incredulity and disgust. Neku immediately pulled his still fully-extended thing out of Eri's nether region and pulled up his pants, completely forgetting his condom was still on. Eri herself sat up hurriedly and tugged her panties back in place.

"Shiki!" Neku yelped, his face completely pale. "What are you doing here?"

Shiki couldn't find her voice. She couldn't reply. She simply glared daggers at both Neku and Eri, tears on the brink of falling.

Neku lurched towards Shiki unsteadily. "Shiki… This… It's not what it looks like!"

His bespectacled girlfriend raised her open palm and slapped him across the face so swiftly that he didn't feel any pain until a second later. With mouth agape, Neku could only stagger a few steps back, powerless to explain. No excuse could save him now.

"Neku… Eri…" Shiki's voice was thick with venom. "How… How could you…"

Eri opened her mouth to say something, but Shiki stopped her with another slap to the face. The only thing that she could utter was a gasp of pain. Eri knew it was useless to try and dispel the anger that was burning deeply in the eyes of her best friend who had seen everything. The betrayal was like a barbed sting in Shiki's soul.

Only then did Neku and Eri realize how serious the situation had become. All along they thought they were just having some harmless fun with each other, but now that the truth about them was out in the open, they finally knew that what they were doing was wrong. They had taken advantage of a friend's trust in the wrong way and abused it.

"You… You…!" Shiki was finding the right curse to spit at them. "You idiot, Neku! You've been cheating on me! I should have known! I happened to be upstairs and I heard some noises coming from the rooftop so I came to check it out. I never would have guessed that you were doing this… this… horrible thing up here!"

Shiki's eyes were boring right into Neku. Just looking at her made him weaker and more inferior.

She turned her attention to Eri, whose blazer she noted was hopelessly crumpled from Neku groping the pink-haired teenager's chest. "And you, Eri!" she growled, dog-like, "I thought you're my best friend. I thought you're dependable. Now that this happened I can't even borrow your shoulder to cry on!"

"Shiki… I… I'm sorry…" Eri mumbled, ashamed.

"P-Please forgive me, Shiki," said Neku, his gaze still fixated on the concrete at his feet. "I'll… I'll make sure I…"

"Make sure you what?" snapped Shiki. The tears were flowing in rivers down her face. She took off her glasses to wipe her eyes on her sleeve. "What can you do! It's too late now. The damage has already been done!"

Shiki fished into her pocket and produced a piece of paper. It was the ticket to The Prince's latest concert that Neku had bought for her. In a fit of fury she balled it up and threw it in his face.

"Looks like you and Eri would make a perfect match," she hissed. "In that case, fine! Take her, Neku! Take back this ticket and take her with you to the… the _damn_ concert! I don't need it!" Eri was shocked to hear the normally placid Shiki using a foul word. "Damn" was never part of her vocabulary. The fact that she was using it was proof that she was very, very mad.

"But…" Neku made one last attempt to save himself. "But I still love you, Shiki. I really do! I want you to – "

"No!" screamed Shiki, bloodshot eyes searing into Neku. "I never want to see you again! Eri, the same goes for you. You are my best friend no longer! Go find someone else to do your sewing!"

Shiki left, slamming the door behind her. The poor girl cried non-stop as she left the school compounds. Neku and Eri were left on the rooftop, watching her run out of the gate.

Their nerves were shot to pieces. Their lives were over.

All three of them.

XOXOXOXOXO

Sunday came and The Prince's concert would be a blast. Ai and Mina were going, and so were many of the fangirls in school, but Eri didn't feel like leaving the house at all. In fact, she was cooped up in her room the whole day, hugging her pillow to her chest for comfort.

Losing her best friend Shiki was the worst episode in her life. It wasn't easy nurturing their friendship, which went back about two or three years, and it was officially over in the snap of a finger.

Fear began to cloud her judgment. Shiki had seen them. Would she turn against her own friend and call the police? Or would she keep quiet about it and be content with harbouring intense hatred against her instead?

Eri was worried about her future now. If only she wasn't so obsessed with Neku to the point of seducing him. She knew that at the moment he tore her virginal barrier there would be no turning back. They had passed the point of no return.

She understood at last. Sex just isn't as simple as she thought.

The doorbell rang, halting her train of thoughts. She opened the front door and before her stood Neku. But instead of her usual cheery self, she greeted him in a dull, robot-like manner.

"Hey, Neku. What're you doing here?"

"…Just need to talk to you for a bit," replied Neku, helping himself inside her apartment.

Eri brought out a soda for him, the same type of soda she offered him during his first time at her place. She watched him gulp it all down to wash down his dry throat. He set the empty can on the coffee table before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.

"Neku," said Eri, fidgeting in the couch beside him, "Talk to me. What do you want to talk about? You came here for a purpose, right?"

"Well, yeah… Just… let me clear my head a bit. It's a little fuzzy…"

Neku took several deep breaths. Then he spoke.

"Eri."

"What is it?" Eri was startled by the seriousness in his voice. What did he want to say that was so important? "What do you want?" But she could guess.

"I..." Neku began, looking away and clutching the back of his neck. Hesitant and uneasy, he struggled to find the right words. Eri was clinging onto the conversation, hoping to find an answer.

"Well, Shiki and I… We're not together anymore…"

Eri gulped. It was her fault alone that she shattered his relationship with Shiki.

"I've been trying to contact her," said Neku. "I want to apologise, but no luck. She wouldn't answer my calls."

"It's the same with me…" Eri suddenly felt very small and insignificant. "I'm so sorry, Neku. This… I'm responsible for this…"

Her face went pale. Neku could only stare at the floor.

Guilt washed over Eri's battered conscience in waves. Only now did she realize the consequences of her rash actions. And as she feared before she got caught up in her own tangled web of lies and deceit, her predictions all came true. Her friendship with Shiki had gone down the drain, and Shiki, obviously enraged, would have spread the word about them both. And so her reputation would suffer too.

Trying to take in everything at once made her start to feel faint.

"I…" Eri was swaying. "I can't take this anymore…"

"Don't worry, Eri, I'll be by your side."

"No! You don't understand! This whole thing… It's too late to patch up! I'm done for… _We're_ done for!

"There's no way we can show our faces in front of everyone now… How are we going to have a normal life from now on? How are we going to have lunch in the canteen where Shiki and the rest would be hanging out? How are we going to do _anything_?"

Neku bit his lip as he watched Eri bury her face in her hands, groaning in despair.

"It's hopeless…" She heaved a sigh, clawing her scalp, eager to tear her hair out.

Then Neku spoke again.

"Maybe we're done for, but we still have each other."

Eri turned to face Neku with tears welling up in her eyes.

"You and me, Eri. Just you and me now, but we can be together."

He leaned forward and kissed her. She wanted to protest, to stop the madness that stemmed from herself, but Neku's lips were ever so inviting and the kisses were wonderful. That was when she knew there would be no way she could ever get out of the trap she had fallen into.

So she might as well move on and make the best of what she had. She kissed him back with the same passion as him. His hands started to roam around…

Eri's lips quivered. "Neku, I… I don't know if this is the right time for something like this. And after all that's happened…"

"It'll be alright, Eri," consoled Neku, stroking her cheek gently. "This is a part of our lives now."

"_Our_ lives?"

"Yes. _Our_. You and me."

"Are you saying you want us to stay together…?" Eri, for a strange reason, saw a glimmer of hope in what Neku just said.

However, ignoring Eri's question, Neku said, "I want you now."

Her guilt quickly disappeared. The way he kissed her had a strange way of freeing the mind and dispersing all feelings of doubt. She began to grow hot and feel sexy again.

Eri brought her mouth to his ear, licking the rim of his earlobe seductively. "Mmm… Neku… I'd like a big banana split with plenty of the usual whipped cream…" She paused and traced slow circles on his chest with her index finger. "Get me that and I'll give you a tip."

"You're disgusting, Eri," Neku snorted, amused. "But I'm curious to know what sort of tip you have in mind."

"Let's find out," snarled Eri, licking her lips. "Oh, and while you're at it, you can bring me a side order of grapes… Two will be enough."

"You really are more perverted than I thought," laughed Neku.

Blinded by lust, the two quickly shed their clothes on the living room floor. Neku whipped off his shirt and pants, and Eri furiously unbuttoned her V-neck, watched intently by her lover as more and more of her milky-white cleavage came into view. Underwear was flung haphazardly throughout the room. Neku grabbed her panties in between his teeth and yanked them off her hips before tossing them behind his shoulder.

Then Neku pressed Eri against the wall and proceeded to feel her up while she rested her hands on his muscular chest, loving the texture of his skin. His own hands, however, were trembling and getting unsteady from the excitement of touching Eri's smooth flawless skin, so it was she who had to put protection on him.

But Neku didn't penetrate her right away. They had more experience this time around, and knew that the longer it took, the better the end result. So he massaged her bare breasts with both his hands while tickling her between the legs with the head of his stiff manhood. He tortured her by pushing in very slightly and pulling out, right at her gate. He couldn't have entered more than a centimeter into her, but it was enough to make her go wild. Eri loved it, evident from the way her face was reddening and from the noises that she was making.

Before long she was whimpering like a puppy, begging him to get inside for real. Obeying her at last, Neku parted the folds of her slit and thrusting upwards into her… very very slowly he did it, and on purpose. _Oh god!_ thought Eri dizzily. As inch after inch of his hard shaft crept forth, she felt the jaws of her birth canal chew down hungrily on it for a tight, flawless seal. _Oh god the friction is freaking awesome._ Every cry, every grunt she made became progressively louder, and it was music to Neku's ears. Eventually he could press in no further when his full length disappeared within her.

The two forbidden lovers made love to each other standing up, with Eri practically helpless to defend herself from his onslaught as he pumped into her mercilessly. Her legs shook violently and fought to keep her from crumpling in a heap on the floor, but it was hard. Having him doing this to her was like having sex with a pneumatic drill; he was so fast, so strong, so… good.

She could only kiss him deeply as she held him in her feeble grasp and tousled with his hair. She was held in place by Neku's strong grip on her hips, perched on top of his length which seemed to go deeper and deeper. Every time he pushed up into her he yanked her hips towards himself to enhance the experience. Eri was gasping for breath and sweating bullets from Neku's brutal assaults, the boy's aggression as naked as his body. She couldn't escape, not that she wanted to. She was trapped. Before long she could feel her fluids oozing out and dripping onto the floor beneath her.

Maybe her life as she knew it was pretty much over. Her best friend, her other pals, her standing in society… all gone.

But Neku was here to stand by her, to care about her, to make wild love to her when she needed it most. When she needed a _cummie_.

Nothing mattered anymore. Only the ferocity of their lovemaking kept her going.

"Neku, oh, you're so good."

"You're not bad yourself, Eri," Neku whispered, his hot breath raking her face and neck.

"Uhhh… Ahh… _Aaaaaagh!_"

Eri was the first to cry out as an incredible orgasm turned her inside out. The neighbours were living behind the wall she was being ravaged against, and she knew they could hear her but she couldn't care less and screamed anyway, digging into Neku's back with sharp nails. Shortly afterwards, Neku made a low garbled sound and his face contorted in a mixture of pleasure and agony as he felt an especially great surge of thick cream spill out of him into her. Eri's womanly juices squirted out of her in vicious spurts and dribbled down both her legs and Neku's.

Both Neku and Eri started to slow down now that they had reached their climax. When he was finally done with her, and he squeezed the last few drops of his seed out of himself, only then did he detach her off of him, whereupon the girl promptly slid down the wall and became nothing more than a trembling, sweating wreck.

With eyes glazed over, she looked up at Neku, expecting him to thank her for the wonderful five minutes they shared consummating what would be the beginning of their dirt-laced relationship. However, he simply rolled off the sheath and balled it up in a wad of tissue paper, setting it on the floor beside Eri. He strode into her bathroom stark naked where he proceeded to wash his hands.

He came back to see her soon enough. "I'm not done yet, Eri," he said, laying her body full-length on the floor. She could do nothing for herself; she was burned out. But she was excited upon hearing his words. True enough, he thrust two fingers into her gateway, and she gasped.

Audible squelching noises filled the air, mixed with Eri's moans as she squirmed from his touch. His fingers went in and out, spilling honey everywhere. There was not a spot on her crotch that was dry. Mucus coated the insides of her thighs, splattered onto Neku's hand and pooled onto the floor.

Neku used his free hand to spread her wetness over her entire body. He used her skin as a canvas, painting crazed nondescript pictures on her tummy with her own slime that acted like a natural soap. He slapped a generous amount of it onto her bare bosom too, caressing her with frenzied enthusiasm. Neku could not believe he was doing something like this to her, but he enjoyed these new sensations considerably.

Eri was in cloud nine as both of his hands did wonders for her. This was something they had never tried before, but she was awfully glad they did. So she joined in. She told Neku to let go of her folds momentarily so she could scoop some of her seemingly infinite juices, after which she lathered her body up furiously with them. They mingled with her salty perspiration to form a sticky, musky sheen which gleamed off her skin like grease. In no time at all she smelt… well, granted, it wasn't a smell that most people in their right mind would want to smell at all, but to them both she had a most heavenly scent. It was seriously turning them on.

"You are such a babe," growled Neku, unconsciously stroking her faster.

"Well… are you ready for another round?" asked Eri boldly.

"Hmmm… Yes."

Neku retracted his hand from between her soaked legs. Eri shuddered a little. To her delight she saw him getting ready, taking his place atop her. His cooldown time had ended.

He mounted her, nestling his frame against her own sweaty, slimy one. Eri's legs squeezed around his hips, forcing him to penetrate deep inside. More juice spurted forth.

"Oh Neku," Eri purred, gratitude written in her beautiful eyes, "I love you so much. You're the most wonderful boy I've ever met."

"And I love you too, Eri," said Neku, his hot breath raking her neck. "Now let us do it one more time before your parents come back."

"Let's."

Eri's tantalizingly slick body felt amazing. Everywhere on her entire being she was silky and deliciously slippery to the touch. He enjoyed running his hands up and down her hips and ribs, cupping her breasts every now and then. Occasionally he would lick her bare shoulders clean. Eri loved it too. In fact, she was really making it clear to him with especially loud cries and the way she was shifting her hips in long motions. Her insides were substantially lubricated and only served to prolong their lovemaking, which admittedly was their intended purpose. It just wasn't any fun finishing it in sixty seconds.

"Ah… Neku… I'm gonna explode…"

"Scream, Eri," huffed Neku, moving faster and harder. "I love your voice."

"Unngh…!"

"Louder! You sound so hot when you're out of control."

"Neku… Ahh… Any louder and the neighbours will…"

"Screw the neighbours."

"Y-Yeah," agreed Eri wholly. And so she obeyed Neku's command. Frankly, it wasn't hard. A particularly strong spasm coursed through her muscles, filling her with so much pleasure that she threw all common sense out the window and made the loudest scream ever heard in Shibuya.

"_AAAAARGH!_"

"Good girl," grunted Neku insanely. "And here's your reward!"

He began a series of very rough and cruel-looking strokes, tearing Eri apart. She yelled at the top of her lungs as she let him violate her so savagely. All the while groping everywhere. Neck, shoulders, chest. Hips, buttocks, thighs. Her entire body writhed like jelly. She held him in her iron-like embrace and kissed him feverishly, eagerly awaiting the moment of release.

Neku found it harder to achieve orgasm a second time, but nonetheless he was still able to reach his highest point. Another deluge filled out the little rubber tube completely, and his senses went haywire. Eri felt her muscles tightening as she quickly approached the peak of her pleasure, but she tried to delay it as much as she could so she could experience a much greater orgasm. The most she could hold it in was a mere five seconds, but it was enough to gather enough energy for one final climax.

She let it go, and her release was explosive. Oh, it was even better for her this time. Her legs could no longer cradle him and she let them hang loose on either side of him. Her back arched and buckled, like she was a wild horse, and Neku was her rider. Countless tremors twisted her, electrocuted her, shook her uncontrollably. Neku was full and hot with white froth and she could just about feel his warmth inside her through the rubber. Without any regard to whether anyone was watching or listening to them, her howls of satisfaction reverberated around the room. For Neku to hear. Her volume was outrageous but Neku didn't care that his ears hurt. He loved her as a friend, more as a lover, and even more when she was so dirty and shameless.

Neku thrust into her a few more times, with each thrust earning a groan of approval from the grateful Eri. When he was sure he was done, he slowly pulled out, and one last spasm shook her. Without a word, he picked up his clothes and helped himself to her bathroom, leaving her lying on the floor in a pool of sweat and love dew.

As she lay there, she listened blankly to the sounds of Neku using the shower to clean himself up. _He's using my soap_, she thought to herself, a weak smile on her face. _Her_ soap. Not her mother's or father's soap, definitely not Shiki's soap or any other girl's for that matter, but _her_ soap.

Neku soon emerged fully clothed. He walked over, crouched and gently sat her up so he could talk to her at eye-level.

In quiet tones, he simply said, "I love you, Eri."

Eri was so moved she could have cried. Those were the words she was waiting to hear.

"I love you too, Neku," she reciprocated breathlessly.

"Don't you worry, Eri. I'll be your Prince Charming. Forever."

Eri let a tear of thankfulness run down her face. "Please, let us make love like this soon. Let us be like husband and wife again."

"We will."

Neku leaned in for one more kiss, and after he propped her up against the wall, he was gone. Alone in her own apartment once more, Eri tried to get up, but she couldn't. Her muscles were thoroughly fried. She would have to wait a little longer before she could stand and start cleaning up all evidence of their lovemaking before her parents returned.

Eri and Shiki shared a love for fashion, lots of other hobbies and special moments together.

But because of one boy, they were friends no more.

It ate at her to betray her buddy like this, but she no longer cared. Because now, she had won. Neku was hers, and she was Neku's.

Her hips were bruised from his vice-like fingers on her. She brought a finger to her special area, which was raw and reddened. It stung to the touch. Ignoring the pain, she dipped into her folds which were literally dripping and her finger emerged coated in juice. Into her mouth it went.

Her taste buds registered a bittersweet taste, much like what was happening to her now. The overwhelming bitterness of guilt, laced with the sweetness of victory that could barely be tasted because when it came down to it, such a victory was hopelessly hollow. She smiled, though. She still loved it.

_Delicious_.

**Author's note: I'm really not comfortable with corrupting the characters of TWEWY like this... Oh well. I hope no one gets nightmares from this… I think I'll do more stories with K to T ratings from now on. Still, I have to admit I had fun writing it. Frankly, there aren't many M-rated TWEWY stories out there with boy-girl love scenes, so I hope this is a breath of fresh air for everyone.**

**Check out my other stories! "An Awkward Couple" is a hilarious story about Neku and Shiki's relationship, narrated by me. And in "Out-of-Body Experience" Neku is trapped in Eri's body. Oh the humanity! Also check out "Turnabout Highschool", which is my Ace Attorney/TWEWY crossover! Miles Edgeworth attempts to solve a murder in Shibuya!**

**Thanks for reading. Later!**


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